Bloodchild: Gender Inequality in Society

“Bloodchild” is a story that pushes the limits of humankind, creating blurry interpretations of good and evil that challenges everyday societal norms. Octavia Butler takes a traditional action-filled story and twists it into an unexpected and intensified tale. Through this heightened piece of work, the most compelling argument can be found from the structure of the narrative itself. From the first-person narrative, readers are able to receive first hand perspective in which no omniscience of any sort can be detected. Readers can acquire the character’s actions, thoughts, and interpretation of the things that happen to them. “Bloodchild” is a story of an alien planet where the Terrans are enslaved by an alien race called the Tlic. Gan, the protagonist, has been promised as a host for the alien embryos in which the story will later reveal a deeper meaning underlining the sacrifice.

Bloodchild is a science fiction story written first published in 1984. It was written by Octavia butler, an African American woman born in 1947. In her time of life she faced many issues that she reflects on in her writing, like racism, and misogyny. This story is a societal satire about a young boy who struggles to understand his role in life while coming of age. Bloodchild is a story that subtly outlines gender roles, possibly those of her time, these roles are represented by the aliens and the human race.

In society these days there is a noticeable difference in the treatment of men and women, the most common examples would be found in the social, business and culturally convention realms. These ways of life have double standards in many different ways. There are many ways to convey the ways of discrimination towards women by men.

Society has always forced its people to think in a certain way and make it the social norm. In Octavia Butler’s Bloodchild, Gan faces his real reality that causes him to sacrifice himself to bear alien children. Butler’s writing choices challenges the social norms and how people have to rely on the government to survive, but also helps her cope with a fear..

Octavia Butler’s science fiction classic “Bloodchild” is the coming of age story told from the point of view of Gan. The story takes place on an alien planet the very night that Gan becomes a man. One might expect a highly masculine, ritualistic ceremony or event, but Butler turns the tables. In order to become a man Gan must be impregnated by an insectoid like alien named T’Gatoi. Cages have often been symbolic in literature as a means of subjugation, the cages in “Bloodchild” are imperative to the story in the same way. Through the explicit use of imagery, metaphor, prose and irony, Butler creates a story reflective of the sufferings of American Slavery, of life as an African American woman and causes the reader to reevaluate the way they treat others. “Bloodchild” has won multiple awards including the Nebula and Hugo Awards and an award for best science fiction novelette from the Science Fiction Chronicle (Heifitz). Butler gains literary notability by creating a work so horrifyingly believable, that is reflective of slavery and discrimination, it is a powerful story that pushes the reader to thoughts and ideas that might not have otherwise been explored.

Gender inequality has been the main focus for many centuries through the use of discrimination and oppression women were exploited. Where women had very little rights of their own or a voice in society but made many sacrifices to achieve equal rights whether it be in employment or other areas of inequality. As men were seen as masculine breadwinners and women as more feminine by looking after the family and raring of children.

1 a.) As defined by sociology, a minority group is one that is singled out and treated as lesser people, and given less say and resources than those who are of a higher station in society ((Ed.), (n.d)). The importance of having different ‘classes’ in society is that it defines who will be the one who serves those at the top and those who will be at the top. Although the separation of each class gives a clearer definition of who we are in society we should not allow that to stop us from striving to move up the stratification ladder. The poor in the U.S. begin at the door step of the single minority single White mothers, who make up the bottom thirty percent of the population (Meyer, 2014). Black women are even more of a minority than the White woman in today’s society. This is closely followed Black men and the Hispanic population coming in at 27 and 26 percent-respectively (Commerce, 2014). Women are minorities in many areas such as employment, education, and government support. Women are overlooked when it comes to being ‘allowed’ into certain jobs, neighborhoods, colleges and universities. Women are in general paid less for more work, longer hours and with less benefits. The working conditions for women are less stable than those of a man in the same position. The wages that they work for are even lower than that of their White contemparies and the conditions are even worse for them. Women earn about 77 cents for every

First of all, in many countries there were some laws that shows the inequalities between men and women, and these laws is for the rights of men. In particular, in Hammurabi 1792 to 1750s, who are in Mediterranean, or Western Asia, there were laws that shaped their society and culture, but it shows how men have rights, but women were not. For example, the law said “If a figure

I was born in a family where I never had to worry about my race or ethnicity. Both of the terms are “social construction” which means that “society has created this category” and “it has more meaning socially than biologically” (Race and Ethnicity for OLS Prezi). Race is how we look, or “a social definition based on shared lineage and a real or presumed, biological characteristic,” while ethnicity is a social definition of groups that are “typically defined on the basis of some cultural characteristic such as language, religion, traditions, and cultural practices” (Ritzer, 223). The whole nature of racism boils down to having a dominant group who believes that they are superior, such as more civilized or physically more evolved than the minority

Although the principles of equality for women under the Declaration of Independence and the Woman’s Equal Rights Law were not endowed with constitutional force and although the 1992 Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty does not expressly include the principle of equality, these laws have been interpreted by the courts as securing the principle of gender equality as a basic principle of the legal system.

Equality has been and will always be a problem in our world. Not everyone can choose to have the job they want, do what they want or simply live the life they want. There is inequality in matters of race, sexual orientation, social class and gender. I know that both genders face some sort of gender inequality. While browsing through the internet, I saw four advertisements that depicted women in a sexist and discriminatory way. I chose to do my essay on these advertisements because I find them relatable. These ads are promoting UN Women, a United Nations entity working for the empowerment of women. All of the the ads are similar but also convey different messages.

The definition of gender roles is a set of societal norms dictating what types of behavior is generally considered acceptable based on the gender of a person. Additionally, if you don’t seem to accept this standard, there can be huge consequences. For example, in India, women are viewed as a burden and a “extra mouth to feed.” Her status promotes the idea that men can treat them in a subdued manner. If they don’t comply to these requirements, then a woman is murdered by her husband or his family by being set alight by a flammable liquid, which is usually known as bride burning. Herland, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, also uncovers the harsh inequality of women. Gender roles shouldn’t be real and they were forced on us by society.

Gender inequality is a social problem that is widespread in society. It is referred to as the unfair treatment of individuals based on one 's gender. Historically, laws have opposed women to go to school, access certain jobs, and purchase property. Gender inequality has been experience through culture – honor-killing, sex-selective abortion, and society – occupation, gender roles, and education. The social expectations of men and women differ between cultures that are constructed socially and culturally. These expectations are displayed in roles, and behavior believed both by men and women and their interdependent relationships. Gender inequality can be further understood through the structure of sexism. Discrimination takes place in gender inequality for the reason that men and women are treated on the basis of gender alone (Amjad, R., Ashfaq, M., Kousar, R., Saghir, A., 2010).

Gender is part of the framework of the institutional framework of society. Gender is a hierarchical structure of opportunity and oppression as well as a structure of identity and cohesion. Gender is a socially constructed experience. It is a learned identity. (Zinn & Eitzen, 1993)

As we are all birth equally throughout the world, there is still contingency that causes a barrier between human kinds. What barriers are we talking about that can’t be changed through our DNA? That is our gender. When each of us are born into the world, we are labeled as male or female due to our genetical DNA and different types of organs (WHO). Yet, society still isn’t as balance enough and there are still so much discrimination in gender in even today’s society.